1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic clutch advantageously used, for example, in the air conditioning system of an automobile, and a compressor provided with this electromagnetic clutch.
2. Description of the Related
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional drawing showing an example of a conventional electromagnetic clutch.
This electromagnetic clutch 100 is provided in the compressor of, for example, the air conditioning system of an automobile, and is mechanically and intermittently connected to the compressor and a drive source (not illustrated), and disposed in the nose part 101 of the front case of the compressor.
On the periphery of the nose part 101, the drive rotor 103 is supported freely rotatably by the clutch bearings 102, and a coil 104 is built into on this drive rotor 103. An armature plate 105 having an identical axis line is disposed so as to oppose this drive rotor 103. Moreover, the reference numeral 104a in the figure is the coil housing.
A hub 106 is anchored by a nut 107 on the projecting part of the drive axle 112 of the compressor. One end of the connection plate 108 is anchored to the hub 106 by the rivet 110, and the other end is anchored to the armature plate 105 by the rivet 109. The electromagnetic clutch 100 is formed having as essential components the clutch bearing 102, the drive rotor 103, the coil 104, the armature plate 105, the hub 106, the connection plate 108, and the rivets 109 and 110 described above.
In addition, a belt pulley 111 is provided on the periphery of the drive rotor 103, and communicates with a drive source such as an engine via a V belt (not illustrated) that extends across thereto.
In the electromagnetic clutch 100 having the structure described above, the drive rotor 103 communicates with a drive source such as an engine, and thus is always rotating while the drive source is rotating. In this state, when current flows to the coil 104 and the coil 104 is energized, the armature plate 105 is engaged by the drive rotor 103 due to the magnetic force of the coil 104. In addition, the rotational torque of the drive source is transmitted to the drive axle 112 by, in sequence, the drive rotor 103, the armature plate 105, the rivet 109, the connecting plate 108, the rivet 110, and the hub 106. Thereby, the drive axle 112 of the compression component is caused to rotate. When the current to the coil 104 is stopped in this state, the armature plate 105 is separated from the drive rotor 103, and the power transmission to the drive axle 112 is interrupted.
However, in the electromagnetic clutch 100 of the compressor described above, the armature plate 105 is a single thick metal plate, and the drive rotor 103 is also made of metal, and formed as one body. In addition, when electricity flows through the coil 104 and the armature plate 105 is engaged by the drive rotor 103 due to the magnetic force of the coil 104, the armature plate 105 is coupled to the drive rotor 103 at a high speed in order to minimize the duration of the relative slippage with the end surface of the drive rotor 103. Thus, as described above, when current flows through the coil 104, and the armature plate 105 and the drive rotor 103 are coupled by engagement due to energizing the coil 104, there is the problem that a shock sound between the armature plate 105 and the end surface of the drive rotor 103 is produced, and decreasing this shock sound is desirable.
In this context, the inventors found that a laminated body in which a plurality of thin plates (plate body) are laminated to the walls that form the end surfaces of the armature plate and the drive rotor would be effective in decreasing the shock sound. However, to make this commercially viable, it is necessary to provide at a low cost a laminated body that comprises a plurality of laminated thin plates, and that can be reliably integrated. Furthermore, development of a laminated structure having an operability that is superior with respect to manufacture in a short period of time is desirable.
In consideration of the above described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic clutch and a compressor provided with this electromagnetic clutch that is effective in reducing the shock sound produced during the coupling of the armature plate and the drive rotor, and furthermore, having as an essential element a laminated body that can be provided at low cost.
In order to resolve the problems described above, in the present invention the following device was used.
In a first aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic clutch provides a drive rotor that is connected so as to communicate with a drive source and has a built in coil and an armature positioned opposite to said drive rotor, and having an armature plate disposed and on the same rotation axis line, in which the end surface of the drive rotor and the armature plate are engaged or separated due to the magnetic force of the coil when the coil is energized by the application of voltage, and the drive rotor and the armature are intermittently coupled in communication, wherein the armature plate is a laminated body comprising a plurality of plates, at least one of the outer surface plate or the inner surface plate of the laminated body that serves as a friction surface has a plurality of fastening tongues protruding therefrom, and the laminated body is integrated by the fastening tongues being bent so as to surround the other laminated plates such that they are fastened.
According to this type of electromagnetic clutch, because the laminated body is integrated by the fastening tongue being bent so as to surround the other laminated plates such that they are fastened, a reliably integrated laminated body is easily obtained, and furthermore, because the operability is superior in comparison to integration by welding, etc., manufacture is possible in a short period of time and at a low cost.
The fastening tongue in this case can either be (1) provided only on the outer surface plate, (2) provided only on the inner surface plate, or provided on both the outer surface plate and the inner surface plate.
In a second aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic clutch provides a drive rotor that is connected so as to communicate with a drive source and has a built in coil and an armature positioned opposite to said drive rotor, and having an armature plate disposed and on the same rotation axis line, in which the end surface of the drive rotor and the armature plate are engaged or separated due to the magnetic force of the coil when the coil is energized by the application of voltage, and the drive rotor and the armature are intermittently coupled in communication, wherein the armature plate is a laminated body comprising a plurality of laminated plates, cylindrical bar-ring integrating parts are provided on the plate of one end surface side and through holes are provided on the other plates, and the laminated body is integrated by inserting and fastening the bar-ring integrating parts into the through holes.
According to this type of electromagnetic clutch, because the laminated body is integrated by inserting and fastening the bar-ring integrating parts into the through holes, a reliably integrated laminated body can be manufactured in a short period of time period and at a low cost.
In this case, the bar-ring integrating parts inserted into the through holes do not project from the through holes, and are fastened on the inside by expanding the diameter, or similarly, the diameter is expanded and the distal end of the bar-ring integrating parts project from the through holes and are bent so as to attach to the end surface on the opposite side.
Moreover, in the fastening structure in which the bar-ring integrating parts do not project out of the through holes, there is no restriction on which plate on the end surface side provides the bearing formation part, but in the fastening structure in which they project out of the through holes, only the plate on the friction surface side can provide the bar-ring integrating parts.
In a third aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic clutch provides a drive rotor that is connected so as to communicate with a drive source and has a built in coil and an armature positioned opposite to said drive rotor, and having an armature plate disposed and on the same rotation axis line, in which the end surface of the drive rotor and the armature plate are engaged or separated due to the magnetic force of the coil when the coil is energized by the application of voltage, and the drive rotor and the armature are intermittently coupled in communication, wherein the armature plate is a laminated body comprising a plurality of laminated plates, cylindrical bar-ring integrating parts that each have a different diameter are provided on the plates on both of the end surface sides, and through holes are provided in the other plates, and the laminated body is integrated by inserting the bar-ring integrating parts into the through holes from both sides, and engaging and fastening the one to the other.
According to this type of electromagnetic clutch, because the laminated body is integrated by the simple operation of inserting the bar-ring integrating parts provided on one end surface side of the plate into the through holes and then engaging and fastening the bar-ring integrating parts provided on the end surface side of the plate on the opposite side, a more reliably integrated laminated body can be manufactured in a short period of time and at a low cost.
In this case, the bar-ring integrating parts having the small diameter can be fastened by enlarging the diameters on the inside, without projecting from the through holes, or enlarging the diameter in a similar manner, the distal end of the bar-ring integrating parts on the small diameter side can project from the through holes and be bent so as to attach to the end surface on the opposite side.
Moreover, with the fastening structure in which the bar-ring integrating parts on the small diameter side project from the through holes and whose distal ends are bent, the bar-ring integrating parts provided on the plates on the friction surface side must be made the ones on the small diameter side.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic clutch provides a drive rotor that is connected so as to communicate with a drive source and has a built in coil and an armature positioned opposite to said drive rotor, and having an armature plate disposed and on the same rotation axis line, in which the end surface of the drive rotor and the armature plate are engaged or separated due to the magnetic force of the coil when the coil is energized by the application of voltage, and the drive rotor and the armature are intermittently coupled in communication, wherein the drive rotor has an integrally formed body part and a wall part that forms the end surface of the drive rotor; and the wall part is a laminated body comprising a plurality of plates, a plurality of fastening tongues project from at least one of the outer surface plate or inner surface plate of the plate that serves as the friction surface side, and said laminated body is integrated by bending said fastening tongues so s to surround the other laminated plates and fasten them.
According to this electromagnetic clutch, because the fastening tongues provided on the plate of the friction surface side are bent so as to surround the other laminated plates such that they are fastened, a reliably integrated laminated body is easily obtained, and furthermore, because the operability is superior in comparison to integration by welding or the like, it can be manufactured in a short period of time and at a low cost.
The fastening tongue in this case can be (1) provided on only the outer surface of the laminated body, (2) provided on only the inner surface plate, or (3) provided on both the outer surface and the inner surface plates.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic clutch provides a drive rotor that is connected so as to communicate with a drive source and has a built in coil and an armature positioned opposite to said drive rotor, and having an armature plate disposed and on the same rotation axis line, in which the end surface of the drive rotor and the armature plate are engaged or separated due to the magnetic force of the coil when the coil is energized by the application of voltage, and the drive rotor and the armature are intermittently coupled in communication, wherein the drive rotor has an integrated body part and a wall part that forms the end surface of the drive rotor, and the wall part is a laminated body comprising a plurality of laminated plates, cylindrical bar-ring integrating parts are provided on the plate of one end surface side and through holes are provided on the other plates, and the laminated body is integrated by inserting the bar-ring integrating parts into the through holes and fastening them.
According to this type of electromagnetic clutch, because the laminated body can be integrated by the simple operation of inserting the bar-ring integrating parts into the through holes and fastening them, a reliably integrated laminated body can be manufactured in a short period of time and at a low cost.
In this case, the bar-ring integrating parts inserted into the through holes can be fastened by expanding the diameter on the inside without projecting from the through holes, or expanding the diameter in a similar manner, the distal end of the bar-ring integrating parts can project form the through holes and be bent so as to attach to the end surface of the opposite side.
Moreover, in this fastening structure in which the bar-ring integrating parts do not project from the through holes, there is no restriction on which plate on the end surface side provides the bar-ring integrating parts, but in the fastening structure in which they project from the through holes, only the plate on the friction surface side can provide the bar-ring integrating parts.
In a sixth aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic clutch provides a drive rotor that is connected so as to communicate with a drive source and has a built in coil and an armature positioned opposite to said drive rotor, and having an armature plate disposed and on the same rotation axis line, in which the end surface of the drive rotor and the armature plate are engaged or separated due to the magnetic force of the coil when the coil is energized by the application of voltage, and the drive rotor and the armature are intermittently coupled in communication, wherein the drive rotor has an integrated body part and a wall part that forms the end surface of the drive rotor; and the wall part is a laminated body comprising a plurality of laminated plates, cylindrical bar-ring integrating parts each having a different diameter are provided on the plate of both end surface sides, and through holes are provided on the other plates, the laminated body is integrated by inserting the bar-ring integrating parts into the through holes from both sides, and engaging and fastening the one to the other.
According to this type of electromagnetic clutch, because the laminated body is integrated by the simple operation of inserting the bar-ring integrating parts provided on the plate on both of the end surface sides, and then engaging and fastening the bar-ring integrating parts provided on the end plate of the end surface side of the opposite side, a more reliably integrated laminated body can be manufactured in a short period of time and at a low cost.
In this case, the bar-ring integrating parts on the small diameter side can be fastened by expanding the diameter inside without projecting from the through holes, or expanding the diameter in a similar manner, the distal end of the bar-ring integrating parts can project from the through holes and be bent so as to attach to the end surface of the opposite side.
Moreover, with the fastening structure in which the bar-ring integrating parts on the small diameter side project from the through holes and whose distal ends are bent, the bar-ring integrating parts provided on the plate on the friction surface side must be made the ones on the small diameter side.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, the electromagnetic clutch is characterized in providing an armature plate according to any of the first through third aspects and a drive rotor according to any of the fourth through sixth aspects, and thereby the laminated body provided at a low cost can be used on the end surface of the armature plate and the drive rotor, and the shock can be more effectively reduced on both sides.
In an eighth aspect of the invention, in the compressor that compresses a liquid by the essential compression elements, the power of the drive source mechanically connected to the drive rotor via the electromagnetic clutch according to any of claim 1 through claim 6 is characterized in being propagated by the drive axle of the essential compressor elements mechanically connected to the armature, and the shock produced during the connection of the electromagnetic clutch that couples the armature plate and the drive rotor is reduced and becomes small, and thus a superior compressor can be provided that has improved silence during operation at low cost.